Choosing the Perfect Summer Camp

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One of the best things you can do for your special-needs child is to sign him or her up for summer camp. It can be hard letting go (especially if your child has a severe disability). Summer camp, though, can do wonders (and I’m speaking from first-hand experience) for a youngster’s self-confidence and social skills, not to mention new skills learned from camp activities (like horseback riding and water skiing): things your child may have considered to be the stuff of dreams.

When Searching, Ask Away

Handing over your kid to complete strangers for a week (or longer in some cases) requires a lot of trust. That’s the reason you shouldn’t feel embarrassed to ask as many questions as it takes for you to feel comfortable as possible with your child’s camping adventure. Here are some important questions to ask:

• First, (the most obvious), cost. Is it free (many are), is it on a sliding scale according to the parent’s income, or can the state help pay at all? Look at all of your options. Camps for kids with disabilities try their best to make sure it’s an option for any family, no matter their income.
• Do they have a specific camping session tailored to your child’s disability (OI, CP, MD, SMA, Sickle Cell, etc)? Many camps have a wide variety of “specialized” weeks all summer, covering all the disability bases, if you will. It’s going to be a much better camping experience for your child if the session he attends has staff members well prepared to handle his specific disability (instead of going to a general “mobility impairment” session, for example).
• What age groups do they cluster together, and what session is your child eligible for according to his age? Most camps split up the sessions as follows: 6-13 year olds, and then 14-17 year olds. The smaller the gap in ages they cluster together, the more finely-tuned your child’s camping experience will be.
• What’s the on-site medical care and PCA situation like? Most camps have dozens of PCAs and 5-6 or so (depending on how many campers are in each cabin) are then assigned to each cabin. Most of these PCAs are college students who are studying for some sort of medical degree and can be a lot of fun for the kids. And lastly, make sure they have either an RN or MD on-site 24/7. Many of these camps are miles away from hospitals or clinics.

What To Look For

While doing your research, look for well-established camps that have decent, longstanding reputations within the disabled community.

• A good place to start your search is online. Visit http://www.mysummercamps.com. This is a huge website with hundreds of camp listings.
• If your child goes to a children’s physical therapy center, a children’s hospital, or a seating clinic on a regular basis, don’t be afraid to ask around. Most of the professionals who work at these places know about the disabled camps in your area.
• Transportation. Many camps even go as far as providing to-and-from accessible transport for your child  (the pick-up point usually being at a nearby disability rehab center). This service makes it easier on the parents.
• And last but not least, gauge your child. Is he/she ready for the whole camping experience? Since every kid grows and matures at a different level, no matter the disability, this is important to keep in mind. Forcing your child to go is never a good idea.